Listen to Your Heart
by Nightmare's Beginning
Summary: Cloud, again with his regrets... Can he let go of his memories with Aerith, and notice the one who was with him all that time, who cared for him more than anything, or ... um... a Clotif I think


Disclaimer: Well… no need to ask, s'pose?

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" I wonder why the rain wouldn't stop" 

A little girl looked outside a small window. It's been raining for a whole months and she missed the sunlight. She went outside her room, down the stairs and saw a woman outside the bar, sitting alone.

"Tifa, he's still not home? I want to meet him", said Marlene sadly

Tifa turned around to look at her for a second before she answered, "No, I don't think he'll be back today… Well, we can't blame him, guess he still can't forget…". Her voice faded off as a drop of tear fell from her cheek. Marlene silently went upstair to her room, not wanting to see Tifa's crying face. She understand Tifa's feeling, but she just can't help feeling a little bit angry about Cloud.

…_Cloud seems… pathetic, don't you think?_

_Well that's a little bit harsh but… maybe you're right…  
_

Cloud suddenly opened his eye. There's nobody beside him there. _Must be hearing things, _he thought. He looked around, nothing has changed since that day. He's sitting on that same place she left him that day, exactly the same spot. He closed his eyes again, hoping to be able to see her smile once more… and he saw her, not with her smile, but with a frown and that surprises him. He opened his eyes again, not wanting to see her, frowning sadly to him. Sad and angered, he decided that he would feel better home.

… _oh please, what's with that face of yours, Cloud…_

_He seems like he's lost his will to live  
_

_Oh shut up, can't you be more considerate?_

It's afternoon when Cloud returned from the Forgotten City. The moment she saw him, Tifa immediately run up to him, greeting him with a warm smile. Cloud was happy knowing that there was still someone there for him, someone that could call his name in such way that calmed his heart. But still, nobody could replace Aerith. The way she greeted him was special. So gentle, so soft that it felt like he could live only to hear that voice, to see that smile… And he was glad that Tifa understood him. She never talked about Aerith, at least in front of Cloud, and that's a great pleasure for him, since talking about her, especially with Tifa, grieves him so badly that he felt like drowning himself into the same lake she was.

"Welcome home, Cloud, you must be hungry, right? I've prepared your lunch, it's on the table" said Tifa. She sounded happy to know that Cloud was home.

Cloud nodded and entered the bar. Marlene was sitting on a chair near the door, seemed annoyed with something.

"What's wrong, Marlene? What's with that scary face…"

"No, there's nothing wrong. Just the fact that _someone_ here is always gone the moment I wake up… Oh, no, really there's nothing wrong with that, of course. Not that there's _someone_ crying for his absence every night!"

Cloud was surprised. That's the first time he saw Marlene being that mad over something. In fact, she never talked to anyone that way before.

"I only went to…"

"Everybody know where you go, Cloud. Trying to explain is a waste of time" said a voice suddenly. Nanaki slowly walked out of the back room and sat next to Marlene. Cloud was really confused with everyone's behaviour today.

"Really, what's your problem! I've just visited our friend and don't you think that's a little bit rude, from someone who's forgotten about our friend as soon as she left us!"

"The problem, Cloud, is none other than you yourself, don't you think? She's dead, and she would never return to us. I think it's about time you realized that." Said Vincent. Since when he was there, nobody knew. Appearing out of nowhere seemed to be his talent, beside Yuffie's, of course (which had stood beside Vince). Cloud thought at least Yuffie would help him, but again he was surprised that she too was giving Cloud a glare that could be compared with Vince's usual glare. Cloud was angered and left the house again, to somewhere even you could have guessed

..._ it's about time for me…_

Again that night, Tifa cried, waiting for him. She knew that he couldn't forget that woman, even she couldn't have blamed Aerith for her death. That's right, her death was nobody's fault. She too thought Aerith was such a nice girl, so nice that she considered her as her own sister, and her death brought sorrow to Tifa, as much as it did to Cloud. But nevertheless, Tifa managed to get over it, she knew that Aerith won't be happy to see her friends being sad because of her, and she knew that everyone of Avalanche felt the same as she did. Everyone, even Yuffie, but Cloud. And she'll keep waiting for him until he's sorted his feeling out. She didn't want to force Cloud with her one-sided love. She knew that she couldn't win against Aerith, but still her love won't cease from him... But still...

_… Shouldn't you make your move now?_

_No, please, wait just a little bit longer…_

Once again Cloud's sitting there, deep in his thought. _so peaceful… really, nobody would have figured that someone had died here… I wonder if she's in the lifestream now… _He closed his eyes, but suddenly opened it again and sat up. _Their soul became one with the lifestream… That's it, why didn't I realized it sooner! _Soon after that he departed with hope in his heart

…_there he goes. Are you sure it's alright?_

_…Yup. He must come sooner or later after all. that's for his sake too... and our sake too...  
_

"I wonder where he went…" Tifa said, anxiety in her voice. Cloud hadn't been home for a week and that worried Tifa more than anything else. The other told her not to worry, still off course she can't not worry. She can only pray for his safety, and asked Aerith to take care of him…

The village, if you could call that ruin a village, was being rebuilt. The villagers are all too busy to recognize the man there, standing on the side of the pool of lifestream. Suddenly that man jumped into the depth of lifestream, hoping to be able to meet her…

Everything was swirling around him… all he could see was green waves, softly enveloping him with warmth he had never felt before. Then he heard it, the voice he hadn't heard for years, softly from somewhere he didn't know

_So you really came, we've been waiting for you, Cloud_

"Aerith, is that you!"

_Of course it's me _

"I'm sorry to have left you all alone up until now.

_Please, don't mind me. Plus I'm not alone. not at all, Cloud. He was with me all this time, and I'm sure you'd need to have a talk with him too, the other you he is_

"What do you mean..."_  
_

_...That's really pathetic, Cloud. do you really think you could become one of us if you come here? _

That voice too he have longed to hear, but strangely now that he'd heard it, he forgot who that is…

" Who are you… you sounds familiar…"

_Great, now you've forgotten who you really are! I mean, half of your memory...  
_

_Time's up, now let me finish my speech to Cloud... just the two of us, please, _ said Aerith

"Aerith, I'm here … for you… now we can be together forever, finally..."

_Too bad, Cloud, he's right. There's no place for you here_

Cloud was surprised with her answer. He never expected Aerith to agree with that someone.

_Cloud, remember, have you forgotten someone close to you? She fits you better than I do, she cares for you more than I could have ever done, are you sure you want to leave her? Please Cloud, let me go to the planet as I am supposed to… your doubt leaves me no choice but to stay here, it's preventing me, holding me back from my return to the planet, to become together again with my anchestors… please, Cloud, for my sake… our sake...  
_

Then everything started to disappear, leaving him inside a deep darkness. He kept thinking about Aerith's words in that darkness for long time. After a while, he began to feel uncomfortable in that eternal darkness. He wished that something, anything would take him out of that place...Suddenly he saw a light, and a hand reaching out for him from that light. He reached out for that hand and he woke up.

All of the Avalanche around him, and Tifa right in front of him, crying like mad. They told him that one of the villagers recognized him, and immediately informed Tifa that he fell to the lifestream. Then they flew there, to Mideel, as fast as the Highwind could bring them. Cloud sat there, feeling guilty for making Tifa that worried, and realized just then how much he care about that woman, and how much she cared about him… He reconsidered Aerith's words and he finally understood, that Aerith wasn't the one for him… he felt really light all of a sudden, like every burden of his had been lifted from him that moment. He smiled and gave Tifa a hug, which she returned, although she didn't expected it. The Avalanches was giving him no more glaring; they were smiling too, and the sky was smiling too, as the rain stopped...

* * *

It's been 4 years since that incident. Cloud was still in Mideel, but this time the completely rebuilt one. And he's not alone. Standing beside him was Tifa, with a baby in her arm. They smiled happily and together they looked into the pool of lifestream, which was left, untouched beside the rebuilt village. No, not because the regret it left within Cloud, but because of the thankfulness it left for all of them. The sky was clear and warmth felt all around them, as was their heart… 

_As expected from Cloud, he never failed my expectation. Really, I regret nothing_

_What do you expect? Of course he could do it. I believed in him. I mean, 'we' believed in him… He was no worse than me, after all, we survived the experiment  
_

_I suppose… Now we can finally return to the planet… together…and promise me that you won't leave me alone anymore!_

_I know, that is my regret, leaving you alone in this big world... but just remember, I love you, and I will always do..._

_

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So, how's it? My first fic I've ever made in my whole life, btw. So… I know it's no good, at least I've tried, right? Anyway, comments and advises, super appreciated, no matter what kind of comment… anyway, I'll try my best if I'm to make another fic… well, that's it. I think. Oh, right, sorry for the grammar and well, you know. every of those kinds of thingy. Not bad for my age I think but... well, y'know


End file.
